Insight: “He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would fully suffice.” —Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

Upright: “Predictions in economics are woefully inaccurate, especially in oil. In the summer of 2018 alone, serious analysts were predicting oil at $200 per barrel, or even $400 per barrel ‘in 12 to 18 months’ — right about now. It’s not that the people making those predictions are not smart — they are. But, even smart people can be horribly wrong when it comes to the myriad interactions among billions of humans on the planet. Have that in mind the next time someone says that this or that is ‘inevitable.’” —Zilvinas Silenas

The BIG Lie, Part I: “No, I would not shut down [the fracking] industry. I know our Republican friends are trying to say I said that. I said I would not do any new leases on federal lands. Ninety percent of the leases are not on federal land, to begin with. I would make sure … the water is not being contaminated. But I would not shut it down, no.” —Joe Biden, who in July 2019 remarked, “We would make sure it’s eliminated, and no more subsidies for [coal and fracking], period.” He reaffirmed his stance multiple times this year, most recently in March.

The BIG Lie, Part II: “Mitch McConnell likes to say that we delayed the bill. No, he delayed the bill. Two weeks ago, he came to the floor and said this is all we’re doing. Just the $250 [billion]. And Democrats were united, House and Senate, the Senate Democrats went to the floor and said no to that, we have a better idea about hospitals and testing and more funds for all of the businesses. So, he was the one wasting time.” —Nancy “Antionette” Pelosi

Non compos mentis: “While we continue to wait for a coherent national plan to navigate this pandemic, states like Massachusetts are beginning to adopt their own public health plans to combat this virus — before it’s too late.” —Barack Obama, who botched two pandemics

Demo-gogues: “New York puts in more money to the federal pot than it takes out. [Mitch McConnell’s] state takes out more than it puts in. Sen. McConnell, who’s getting bailed out here? It’s your state that is living on the money that we generate. Your state is getting bailed out, not my state.” —Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Grand delusions: “We just have to reject any calls for a return to normal because that normal was what was slowly killing people.” —Rep. Ayanna Pressley

And last… “I think it’s time to consider the possibility … that this lockdown — as opposed to the more moderate mitigation efforts — is a colossal public policy calamity.” —Brit Hume